Rainscreen Design Approach

Natural Products... Holistic Outlook

In designing with modern rainscreen products, our thought is always to lead with exterior cladding panels of substance - that are grounded from the elemental earth and sourced from natural raw materials. As is the case with so much design in North America, we've found that there is a real desire and need for exterior cladding products borne of natural raw materials. Our categories of fiber cement, terracotta and ceramic stone provide the primary basis for so many rainscreen design aesthetics and are available for designers who require the timeless authenticity of natural, earth-borne materials to form the backdrop of their energy-efficient rainscreen wall designs.

Out of the earth, with the ability to return to the earth - our rainscreen products represent a cradle-to-grave conciousness that has earned us countless opportunities to consult from a design / build perspective. Coupled with our years of experience in pairing these products with the highest performing sub-framing systems available for DBV applications, the Cladding Corp portfolio is an essential foundation for any designer who is looking for top performance with natural and timeless materials.

But our approach does not stop at the exterior panel surface alone. Over the years, we've become even more certain that a truly successful drained and back-ventilated rainscreen is not limited to the cladding materials alone, it requires an integration of educated design based upon a holistic approach to the panel subframing and exterior envelope. Cladding Corp is an advocate for this “ground up” approach, and base our systems around The 5 Principles of Rainscreen Cladding Design, starting with the selection of the cladding material and ending with the inner waterproofing of the wall.

Why is this important? With an ever-increasing shift towards sustainable design, the exterior envelope of the building offers some of the most significant opportunities to create high performance buildings that leave the least impact on the environment. In addition, is critical to understand the material deflection and thermal properties, spanning capabilities and water absorption of the cladding material, as these factors will influence the engineering of the substructure and the overall wall assembly.

Get to Know Us

Cladding Corp offers a fully-integrated rainscreen approach from the “ground up” that begins with the outer skin of the wall and works its way back to the air/water barrier (AWB). Rather than isolating the design of the cladding materials independent of the entire wall assembly, Cladding Corp focuses on all of the scientific principals and elements required to create an effectively designed drained and back-ventilated rainscreen assembly. Cladding Corp Rainscreens address The 5 Principles of Rainscreen Cladding Design with consideration for the cladding material, outer moisture control, cavity design, engineered subframing and inner moisture control.

Unlike other rainscreen product suppliers who offer panel-only or limited, “engineer-your-own” attachment components and systems, Cladding Corp delivers a single source rainscreen cladding assembly – including the connections of the cladding panels, design of the subframing and attachment to the backup wall.